The Meaning of seiten [晴天] In Japanese

晴天
しょうてん
Romaji: seiten N4

What does 晴天 mean?

Translation and Meaning

clear weather, sunny weather

Definition

What does 晴天 mean? It refers to clear weather when the sky is free of clouds, often with sunshine and good visibility, used to describe ideal outdoor conditions.

Type

noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • clear weather during the day or in a forecast; cloudless skies and good visibility
  • sunny or bright conditions as a weather description
  • figurative sense of favorable circumstances or a positive outlook

Etymology

晴 (sei, on’yomi) and 天 (ten, on’yomi) contribute to the composite sound seiten, the common pronunciation; the combination reflects a phonetic evolution typical of Sino-Japanese compounds.

Origin

Origin: Sino-Japanese compound formed from 晴 and 天; introduced through Chinese writing and used in Japanese meteorological language since classical periods.

Composition

  • 晴: brightness; clear sky
  • 天: sky/heaven
  • Together: a sky that is bright and free of clouds

Usage

Used in meteorology, weather reports, journalism, and everyday conversation to denote a day with no cloud cover. Examples in Japanese: 今日も晴天です (kyō mo seiten desu); 天気予報では晴天が続くと伝えられる (tenki yohō de wa seiten ga tsuzuku to tsutaerareru).
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: picture the sun blazing over a calm heaven; sei-ten sounds like sun-ten to help recall the meaning of a clear sky.

Variations

  • 快晴 (かいせい, kaisei) — clear, sunny weather
  • 晴れ (はれ, hare) — clear weather, often used in everyday speech
  • 晴朗 (せいろう, seirō) — clear and bright weather
  • 曇天 (どんてん, donten) — overcast sky, opposite concept

Example Phrases

  • 晴天 の 朝、 私は 自転車 で 通勤 する。
    Seiten no asa, watashi wa jitensha de tsuukin suru.
    On a clear morning, I commute by bicycle.
    Lista:
    • 晴天 (Seiten) – clear weather
    • の (no) – of
    • 朝 (asa) – morning
    • 私は (watashi wa) – I
    • 自転車 (jitensha) – bicycle
    • で (de) – by
    • 通勤 (tsuukin) – commute
    • する (suru) – to do
    The word 「晴天」 means clear weather; here it functions as a noun describing the weather state and is connected to 朝 with の to form ‘the morning of clear weather’.
晴天